Category Archives: Scouting & Personnel

Updated: November 15th 2018

Each week we will recommend a group of players that are owned in less than 50% of RSO league that should be rostered. Depending on roster and league sizes not all of these players may be available. For that, we will offer 1 player that is owned in <10% of leagues as our Sleeper add.

Byes: Buffalo, Cleveland, Miami, New England, NYJ, San Francisco

Add of the Week

Josh Reynolds, WR – LAR (Owned 26%)

Week 10: N/A

If you are in 3 of 4 leagues where Josh Reynolds isn’t already owned you need to drop your cap space on him immediately. With Cooper Kupp out for the rest of the season, Reynolds will step back into the WR3 role that he had when Kupp missed time earlier this season. The Rams run 11 personnel (3 WR, 1 TE, 1 RB) almost the entire game (95%) which means that Reynolds will be on the field a lot for the remainder of the season. He may not be as consistent a fantasy producer as Kupp but his ceiling is worth risking it.

Suggested Bid: $7,000,000 – $10,000,000

RB Add

Jacquizz Rodgers, RB – TB (Owned 10.5%)

Week 10: 1 Car/0 yards, 8 Rec/102 yards

It was amazing to see the Buccaneers put up over 500 yards of offense and somehow manage only 3 points. Within those 500 yards though was 100 receiving yards from running back Jacquizz Rodgers. This could be a more common feature, although not likely 100 yards a week, for the Bucs moving forward. Ryan Fitzpatrick will always be a gunslinger but having a check down option never hurts an offense that is likely to be in “catch-up” mode for most of the game. This may have been a single game standout for Rodgers but with playoffs around the corner, it’s time to start stashing as many bench options as possible if you are in the hunt.

Suggested Bid: $500,000 – $1,000,000

WR Add

Brandon LaFell, WR – OAK (Owned 11%)

Week 10: 4 Rec/47 yards

Brandon LaFell was brought in a couple of weeks ago to fill the hole at receiver when the Raiders traded away Amari Cooper. A couple weeks later and he now appears to be their primary receiver. What’s more is that both Jordy Nelson and Martavis Bryant are injured leaving minimal options for Derek Carr to throw the ball to for the next 6 weeks. The Raiders offense is not going to score many points each week but in PPR leagues having a team’s number one target is always a good thing to stash on the bench for emergencies. LaFell could remain a deep WR play for struggling teams that can’t afford/acquire Josh Reynolds.

Suggested Bid: $1,000,000

TE Adds

Tyler Higbee, TE – LAR (Owned 20%)

Week 10: 3 Rec/25 yards, 1 TD

There’s a similar analysis here for Tyler Higbee as with Josh Reynolds but on a lower scale. Targets will become available with Kupp out of the lineup, however, only one tight end will be on the field at any given time. Higbee plays about 77% of the snaps so he will have the opportunity to carve a new role out for himself. You should temper your expectations, however, as he has only reached four (4) targets twice this season.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

Sleeper Add (<10%)

Dontrelle Inman, WR – IND (Owned 3.8%)

Week 10: 4 Rec/41 yards

A team polar opposite to LA Rams in terms of tight end usage, the Colts love to get their big guys involved in the passing game and had their third game this season with multiple tight ends scoring a touchdown. The story underneath of that, however, is that of newly acquired receiver Dontrelle Inman stepping in as the WR2 behind T.Y. Hilton the past two weeks. Maybe it is because Ryan Grant isn’t fully healthy yet but Inman had four catches to Grant’s one in week 10. Chester Rogers has also become non-existent since bringing in Inman and Grant returning. Like Brandon LaFell, Inman could have great appeal for teams that need some receiver depth but won’t be able to acquire Josh Reynolds this week. Plus no one is talking about him so he should be cheap to acquire.

Updated: November 7th 2018

Each week we will recommend a group of players that are owned in less than 50% of RSO league that should be rostered. Depending on roster and league sizes not all of these players may be available. For that, we will offer 1 player that is owned in <10% of leagues as our Sleeper add.

Byes: Baltimore, Denver, Houston, Minnesota

Add of the Week

Maurice Harris, WR – WAS (Owned 1.3%)

Week 9: 10 Rec/124 yards

It was a rough week for Washington as they lost three players for the season, two offensive linemen and receiver Paul Richardson. In Richardson’s place though Maurice Harris came out of nowhere and put up 10 catches and over 100 yards. Likely a product of being down early against Atlanta it will be interesting to see what Harris’ role in this offense will be going forward. With Chris Thompson and Jamison Crowder still hampered with injuries, there should be plenty of opportunities for Harris to at least continue to have fantasy viability.

Suggested Bid: $2,000,000

RB Add

Elijah McGuire, RB – NYJ (Owned 49%)

Week 9: 7 Car/30 yards, 3 Rec/37 yards

For the half of you that added McGuire last week and were forced or brave enough to start him you were rewarded with 9.7 PPR points against the Dolphins. Not bad for a team that didn’t score an offensive touchdown. The Jets figure to be in more games similar to this, although maybe not as inept as they looked Sunday so McGuire may be used more out of the backfield as the receiving option back. If they can get their offense to sustain more drives then McGuire will have more opportunities to touch the ball. He should have at least flex-level matchups for the remainder of the season.

Suggested Bid: $2,000,000

WR Add

Cordarrelle Patterson, WR – NE (Owned 18.5%)

Week 9: 1 Rec/ 7 yards, 11 Car/61 yards, 1 TD

After being flashed as a runner on Monday night against Buffalo, Cordarrelle Patterson fully embraced his new role against Green Bay gaining 61 yards on the ground and scoring a goal-line touchdown. Sony Michel is reportedly going to be returning to the lineup in week 10 but that doesn’t mean that Patterson won’t still have his chances. We know Belichick likes to keep things fresh so between Michel, Patterson, and James White the Patriots’ backfield will be full of tricks the second half of the season.

Suggested Bid: $2,000,000

TE Adds

Nick Vannett, TE – SEA (Owned 16%)

Week 9: 6 Rec/52 yards, 1 TD

It took half the season but we finally got the game from Nick Vannett that we expected after Jimmy Graham’s departure. Many flocked to get Ed Dickson after he scored last week but he has never been more than a blocking tight end and was unlikely to duplicate his Week 8 total. Vannett was the most targeted receiver on Sunday (8) so maybe things are finally trending his way. It would be hard to start him with any confidence just yet but another good showing might warrant some spot starts down the stretch.

Suggested Bid: $1,000,000

Vernon Davis, TE – WAS (Owned 20.5%)

Week 9: 5 Rec/62 yards

A similar analysis to Maurice Harris can be applied here to Vernon Davis. The injuries to Washington have forced them to lean on both their tight ends more, with Davis having seven (7) targets and Jordan Reed have six (6) last week. Neither are blocking tight ends and with injuries to the offensive line, Alex Smith’s quick release might have to get even quicker. Tight ends have always benefited Alex Smith so Davis is worth adding to see how this offense may change over the next couple of weeks.

Suggested Bid: $1,000,000

Sleeper Add (<10%)

Cameron Batson, WR – TEN (Owned 0.5%)

Week 9: 2 Rec/21 yards

Watching Monday night football I appreciated having the on-field personnel list displayed on the scoring banner. It allowed me to notice that after Taywan Taylor left the game with an injury it was the undrafted rookie Cameron Batson who saw an increase in snaps throughout the game over other receivers like Tajae Sharpe. He was also the second most targeted WR, behind Corey Davis. We don’t know the severity of Taylor’s injury just yet but if he is forced to miss games Batson could be a very low-key player to stash on the bench. Now that Marcus Mariota has gained back some confidence, and feeling in his fingers, Tennessee might be able to have some fantasy value once again.

Updated: October 31st 2018

Each week we will recommend a group of players that are owned in less than 50% of RSO league that should be rostered. Depending on roster and league sizes not all of these players may be available. For that, we will offer 1 player that is owned in <10% of leagues as our Sleeper add.

Add of the Week

David Moore, WR – SEA (Owned 21.6%)

Week 8: 4 Rec/97 yards, 1 TD

A sleeper recommendation three weeks ago, David Moore has graduated to Add of the Week after scoring four (4) touchdowns and averaging 17 points since then. What’s more is that the Seahawks are showing that they are going to trust Mooremore moving forward so much so that they released Brandon Marshall on Tuesday. He may not be as stable a fantasy option as he has been the last three weeks but for deep WR leagues, Moore is a bonafide WR4 right now. In another big bye week, he may be a player that you can use in your lineups this week.

Suggested Bid: $3,000,000 – $6,000,000

RB Add

Josh Adams, RB – PHI (Owned 11%)

Week 8: 9 Car/61 yards, 1 Rec/6 yards

The stat line will show Wendell Smallwood had 14.6 PPR points last week and therefore would be the likely next man up after Ajayi went down for the season. Looking deeper, however, rookie Josh Adams was more efficient with his carries, 6.8 yards vs. 3 yards per carry, on similar touches. He is also another player recommended going into a bye so he should be cheaper to acquire. We will see how the touches are shared going forward but with Smallwood likely already owned in your league why not grab Adams for free.

Suggested Bid: $1,000,000

WR Adds

T.J. Jones, WR – DET (Owned 0.8%)

Week 8: N/A

Interestingly, T.J. Jones was a WR add suggestion exactly one year ago in the FA Report. Jones hasn’t done anything this season but with Golden Tate leaving the Motor City, and the Lions being one of the heaviest 3WR set teams it’s worth adding Jones. He tallied 30 receptions last year splitting time with Kenny Golladay as the WR3 last season and only has Theo Riddick to contend with as the primary slot option moving forward. Especially if Riddick isn’t healthy over the next couple week, Jones may see even more opportunities.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

Adam Humphries, WR – TB (Owned 14.2%)

Week 8: 7 Rec/76 yards

I expected DeSean Jackson to be another veteran receiver on the move but he is staying in Tampa for the rest of the season. Regardless, Adam Humphries is a receiver that should be available in most leagues that has been putting up quietly good numbers over the last month, averaging 10.8 PPR points in their last four games. The Bucs will be switching back to Ryan Fitzpatrick which may mean that Humphries number dip but for now he’s a WR5 with upside.

Suggested Bid: $1,000,000

TE Add

Jeff Heuerman, TE – DEN (Owned 9.8%)

Week 8: 1 Rec/4 yards, 1 TD

Even before the news of Demaryius Thomas being shipped to Houston, Jeff Heuerman was a name to watch based on his target volume thus far. He has averaged at least four (4) targets in 4 of his last 5 games but hasn’t been able to turn them into much fantasy production. With Thomas gone there becomes a need for another option in the red zone for targets. Courtland Sutton will see a large increase in his target shares but don’t be surprised if Heuerman also sees an extra target or two per game. If he can accumulate more catches between the 20’s as well as receive goal-line targets he might become something in the second half of the season.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

Sleeper Add (<10%)

Tyler Ervin, RB – HOU (Owned 7.3%)

Week 8: 1 Rec/4 yards

As previously mentioned Demaryius Thomas was traded to Houston to try and supplement the loss of Will Fuller for the season. The slot position, however, was not filled and with Keke Coutee missing last week and potentially more games coming, Tyler Ervin may be in line to see more opportunities as a receiver. Ervin was always going to be a question mark as a runner being only 190lbs but his strong receiving skills are what have kept him on the roster these last three seasons. If he can start to see more time in the slot it should be easy for him to work underneath defenses trying to cover Thomas and Hopkins downfield.

Updated: October 31st 2018

Each week we will recommend a group of players that are owned in less than 50% of RSO league that should be rostered. Depending on roster and league sizes not all of these players may be available. For that, we will offer 1 player that is owned in <10% of leagues as our Sleeper add.

Byes: Atlanta, Dallas, LA Chargers, Tennessee

Add of the Week

Raheem Mostert, RB – SF (Owned 33%)

Week 7: 7 Car/59 yards, 4 Rec/19 yards

I was thinking of put Raheem Mostert as a sleeper addition last week but wanted to see one more game to ensure that it wasn’t a fluke that he had leapfrogged Alfred Morris. While Morris still out-touched him in the backfield (9 to 7) Mostert had four receptions to Morris’ zero which leaves no question who the 49ers pass catching back is. Furthermore, Matt Breida is not healthy enough right now for the 49ers to rely on him so he may be shut down for a week or two to try and fully heal himself. That means that Mostert will see an increased role alongside Alfred Morris and could be the primary option depending on the game script. Your FA pool is likely low of flex RBs at this point so best to bring the big bucks if you want to win your bid this week.

Suggested Bid: $4,000,000 – $6,000,000

RB Add

Chris Ivory, RB – BUF (Owned 49%)

Week 7: 16 Car/81 yards, 3 Rec/25 yards

The Bills were blown out early in this game and they lost LeSean McCoy almost immediately which allowed for Chris Ivory to accumulate almost a full games worth of garbage points. Derek Anderson has already been named the starter for Monday night against the Patriots and it doesn’t look as if McCoy will clear concussion protocol in time. If you are in need of a running back and are willing to risk waiting till Monday, Ivory may be leaned on again in the Bills’ offensive game plan.

Suggested Bid: $1,000,000

WR Adds

Tajae Sharpe, WR – TEN (Owned 13%)

Week 7: 7 Rec/101 yards

Tennesse’s offense has been terrible this season. If the Cardinals weren’t setting historic lows for offensive numbers the Titans would be dead last in most categories. If there is an upside though it is that the remainder of their schedule gets slightly easier in terms of defensive matchups. Games against Washington, both New York teams, and Indianapolis twice means that there is at least a hope for the Titans to have bigger games ahead. Tajae Sharpe was the only player to produce in London this past week and seems solidified as the #2 across from Corey Davis. They are on a bye this week so hopefully, Sharpe is cheaper to acquire than other options on the waivers for teams needing immediate replacements.

Suggested Bid: $1,000,000

Danny Amendola, WR – MIA (Owned 25.6%)

Week 7: 6 Rec/84 yards, 1 TD

In week 4 I said Danny Amendola was the player to add and he followed that up with a relatively low 6 PPR points. However, his last two games he has been targeted 18 times and has scored an average of 17 PPR points with the Brock Lobster at QB. All his fellow receivers (Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson) are banged up which should keep his targets in the same range for at least a couple more games. If Tannehill also misses more games give a checkmark to Amendola and his fantasy value.

Suggested Bid: $2,000,000 – $3,000,000

TE Adds

Chris Herndon IV, TE – NYJ (Owned 16.5%)

Week 7: 4 Rec/42 yards, 1 TD

Stat chasers may race to acquire Lions’ tight end Michael Roberts who scored twice on Sunday and had 20 fantasy points. The savvy owners will look deeper and see that Chris Herndon is actually the better add. He scored for the second straight week and was targeted the second most (7) out of all Jet players. Quincy Enunwa is injured again, Terrell Pryor was a surprise cut last week, and Jermaine Kearse saw only two targets and caught neither. Both starting running backs are also banged up so the options are limited for rookie QB Sam Darnold. Any time the Jets get into the red zone he’s likely to be looking Herndon’s way.

Suggested Bid: $1,000,000

Sleeper Adds (<10%)

Kenjon Barner, RB – NE (Owned 4%)

Week 7: 10 Car/36 yards

We don’t know the extent of Sony Michel’s injury but in his absence, Kenjon Barber saw 10 carries to James White’s 11. The Patriots offense works best when it has fresh legs in the backfield to rotate in and out throughout long drives. White will always be the pass-catching back but they still need someone to spell him for traditional running plays. Any time that Michel misses means that there will be an opportunity for Barner to be a sneaky flex play.

Updated: October 18th 2018

Each week we will recommend a group of players that are owned in less than 50% of RSO league that should be rostered. Depending on roster and league sizes not all of these players may be available.

Byes: Green Bay, Oakland, Pittsburgh, Seattle

Add of the Week

Terrelle Pryor, WR – NYJ (Owned 47.6%)

Week 6: 5 Rec/57 yards, 1 TD

Terrelle Pryor scored a touchdown for a second consecutive week and had his most targets (6) since week 2 against the Dolphins. More importantly, it appears Quincy Enunwa will be missing several weeks with an ankle injury. This gives Pryor the opportunity to step into the #2 role opposite Robby Anderson. The Jets’ offense has been a surprisingly useful bunch for fantasy players and if they can keep up their scoring efficiency, Pryor may become a strong mid-season add for what will be a heavy receiver bye week coming up.

Suggested Bid: $3,000,000 – $5,000,000

RB Add

Ito Smith, RB – ATL (Owned 46.5%)

Week 6: 11 Car/22 yards, 1 TD, 2 Rec/-1 yards

With Devonta Freeman going on IR it is time to fully embrace Ito Smith as more of a stable fantasy option for the second half of the season. Smith has a touchdown each of the last three weeks and will likely continue to get goal line work. Tevin Coleman is still the more appealing option in Atlanta’s backfield but now that Falcons are committing to putting Freeman on the shelf they may be more inclined to get Ito Smith involved in their weekly game plan. For someone who is free in nearly half of all leagues, Smith is an easy addition to any team.

Suggested Bid: $3,000,000 – $6,000,000

WR Add

Cole Beasley, WR – DAL (Owned 31%)

Week 6: 9 Rec/101 yards, 2 TDs

Eventually, if I recommend every Dallas player I should get one right, right? The anemic Cowboys somehow hung 40 points on one of the best defenses in football and it was Cole Beasley who racked up huge fantasy points scoring two touchdowns and going over 100 yards. Beasley saw 11 targets after having only 16 in the previous four weeks. Run the ball with Zeke and work over the middle with the shifty Beasley seems like a simple enough game plan. Maybe this will kick start Scott Linehan to use his slot receiver more often. Couldn’t hurt right?

Suggested Bid: $1,000,000

Josh Reynolds, WR – LA (Owned 26%)

Week 6: 1 Rec/-2 yards

It will be tough for Cooper Kupp owners to replace his week-to-week value after it was announced that he is going to miss several weeks with a knee injury. In his absence though second-year receiver Josh Reynolds should be the main beneficiary. There was a lot of hype during the draft last season that saw Reynolds as a mid-3rd round target. However, being buried on the depth chart hasn’t left much room for him to showcase his talents just yet. With how high scoring the Rams’ offense has been this season Reynolds moving up to the WR3 spot this should give an indication of whether or not he can be a fantasy viable asset.

Suggested Bid: $1,000,000 or 3rd round pick

TE Add

C.J. Uzomah, TE – CIN (Owned 38%)

Week 6: 6 Rec/57 yards

A lot of fantasy points to go around in week 6 for the Bengals which means that C.J. Uzomah is looking like a rosterable TE. He was Cincinnati’s only targeted tight end with 7 targets last week which was also good for third on the team behind A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd. Andy Dalton has always liked having Tyler Eifert as a safety option and it seems that Uzomah will be the primary receiving tight end moving forward. He will be a matchup-based play each week but he is definitely worth an add if you are rotating your starting TE week-to-week.

Updated: October 10th 2018

Each week we will recommend a group of players that are owned in less than 50% of RSO league that should be rostered. Depending on roster and league sizes not all of these players may be available. For that, we will offer 1 player that is owned in <10% of leagues as our Sleeper add.

Byes: Detroit, New Orleans

Add of the Week

Niles Paul, TE – JAX (Owned 2.1%)

Week 5: 7 Rec/65 yards

It’s a good sign when Niles Paul is the must add for a week. RSO owners are doing their due diligence to add the relevant free agents making it more difficult for me to find qualified players. Give yourself a pat on the back. Anyways, the Jags were embarrassed pretty badly on Sunday against the Chiefs but for TEs it was supposed to be an ideal matchup. Austin Sefarian-Jenkins was started across several of my leagues but he failed to record a single catch. We now know why as his injury kept him out for most of Sunday and now he will be placed on IR. Meanwhile, former Washington tight end Niles Paul played on 42% of snaps (Most for Jacksonville TEs) and had nine (9) targets. The Jags likely won’t be blown out from the start of many games which makes Paul’s nine targets unlikely to duplicate but with ASJ out that leaves only Paul as the only pass catching TE on the roster. As with every season, the TE position is a wasteland for starting quality players so why not add Paul and use him on a matchup/bye fill basis.

Suggested Bid: $1,000,000

QB Add

C.J. Beathard, QB – SF (Owned 28.6%)

Week 5: 34 for 54, 349 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 2 Car/7 yards, 1 TD

Almost one year to the week I am once again suggesting C.J. Beathard as a break-glass emergency QB add for struggling QB situated owners. The 49ers are not the team that people thought they would be this season, even when they had Jimmy G at the helm. But in their losses comes a lot of garbage time points to be had which should be good for Beathard’s stat line. He finished as QB9 (before Monday’s results) and with the 49ers having severe injuries at the running back position it may be more on C.J.’s shoulders to move the offense down the field each week. With very little expected wins for the remainder of the season, Beathard should be throwing the ball enough to warrant being added.

Suggested Bid: $500,000 ($2,000,000 – $4,000,000 SF/2QB)

RB Add

Kyle Juszczyk, FB – SF (Owned 9.3%)

Week 5: 1 Car/12 yards, 6 Rec/75 yards

As I said in the previous blurb the 49ers are hurting at the RB position so bad so that I am recommending probably for the first time ever in RSO’s short history to add a fullback to your roster. Kyle Juszczyk has been featured more in the passing game than the running game evident by his one carry versus fourteen receptions which is good for his PPR value. With Breida missing a significant part of week 5’s contest Juszczyk was targeted seven (7) times and will likely continue to see much of the passing down snaps while Breida is out. He will be more of a Hail Mary play most weeks but as I previously stated the 49ers will be in catch-up mode for most remaining games. If you are desperate for production at the RB spot Juszczyk might be useful to some of you.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

WR Adds

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR – GB (Owned 27.4%)

Week 5: 7 Rec/68 yards, 1 TD

The Packers receiving core is in a similar state as the 49ers backfield where backup/bit role players are being thrust into starting roles. Marquez Valdes-Scantling was one of those players in week 5 and had a strong showing in a game the Packers needed to throw the ball a lot. We don’t know the extent of Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison’s injury but since both are dealing with hamstring injuries, Allison is also dealing with a concussion, it could be a couple of weeks before one or both are back at full health. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers needs to throw to someone as a third option so Valdes-Scantling may have another game or two of fantasy relevancy. With a handful of starting WRs being on a bye this week (Michael Thomas, Tedd Ginn, Kenny Golladay, Golden Tate, Marvin Jones) you may just need an extra WR4/5 for an emergency start week 6 when the Packers take on the 49ers.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

TE Add

Ryan Griffin, TE – HOU (Owned 14.5%)

Week 5: 6 Rec/65 yards

It is tough to say whether Ryan Griffin’s use against the Cowboys on Sunday night was a specific game plan or if Deshaun Watson was just forced to use Griffin due to the Cowboy’s coverage. Either way, he saw nine (9) targets, second most all receivers, which almost matched his season total. Watson also seemed to be favoring his ribs during the game which may limit his mobility for a couple of games. Having games against four aggressive defenses (Buffalo, Jacksonville, Miami, and Denver) might force Watson to be looking to get the ball out faster which usually is a good thing for a tight end’s stat lines. He’s a risk to play but much like adding Niles Paul it’s all about calculated dart throws when it comes to starting TEs.

Suggested Bid: $500,000

Sleeper Add (<10%)

David Moore, WR – SEA (Owned 4.4%)

Week 5: 3 Rec/38 yards, 2 TDs

There were hints earlier this week from Pete Carroll that David Moore could be more involved this past week. While three receptions aren’t eye-catching his two touchdowns are. Doug Baldwin hasn’t come back to full form yet and Brandon Marshall is likely being pushed out of the offense for younger talent, like Moore. The Seahawks have become a more run-oriented team once again but without having Jimmy Graham they need a bigger receiver to help with red zone scoring. Moore might be able to carve out a role as a red zone threat with touchdown upside. For now, he’s a player to stash and see if Russell Wilson can develop a rapport with him as the season progresses.